Stockholm, 18 April 2005 
 
PRESS RELEASE

Right Livelihood Award to Be Presented to Vanunu 
 

Tomorrow, April 19 2005, the Israeli nuclear whistle blower Mordechai Vanunu finally receives his Right Livelihood Award diploma from Jakob von Uexkull, founder of the award, at a press conference in Jerusalem. The award had been bestowed on Vanunu in 1987 "for his courage and self-sacrifice in revealing the extent of Israel's nuclear weapons programme." The award is presented annually in the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, but Vanunu could not travel to Stockholm in 1987, as he was imprisoned until April 21, 2004.

Prior to the press conference, Uexkull will make a presentation in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Judiciary Committee (probably in a speech, otherwise in writing). The committee holds a hearing about the restrictions imposed on Vanunu: He is still not allowed to travel abroad or to contact foreign citizens and media, and his movements inside Israel are controlled. Uexkull, who is a former member of the European Parliament, will say in his presentation:

"Today the European Union is not just an economic, legal and political community but also increasingly a values community, united by a common ethics and culture. Kidnapping a person from European territory is a shocking affront against those values, which will not be forgiven until Vanunu is free to return from where he was forcibly and illegally removed. This issue will not go away. Numerous resolutions in the European Parliament and presentations from EU governments have so far been ignored by Israel, which has clearly underestimated the continuing enormous international support for Mordechai Vanunu."

"I see no contradiction between caring for the security of Israel and honouring Vanunu. The security of every nation is inseparable from the security of the world and every nuclear bomb makes the world less secure. For these are not rational weapons and their use can never be rational. How can a country be protected by a 'weapon', which would make it uninhabitable for countless generations?"

A former worker at the secret Israeli nuclear facility at Dimona, Vanunu had revealed Israel's nuclear weapons programme to the Sunday Times in 1986. He was kidnapped in Rome by Israel's Secret Service and returned to Israel by clandestine means for trial on charges of espionage and treason. In December 1987, his brother represented him at the presentation of the Right Livelihood Award in the Swedish Parliament. In March 1988 Mordechai Vanunu was sentenced to 19 years' imprisonment.

Times given are Israeli local time (UTC/GMT +2 hours)

April 19 - 10 am (before the hearing, which starts at 11 am)

• Vigil outside the Knesset main entrance with members of an international delegation to support Vanunu: Actress Susanna York, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Maguire, Human Rights Lawyer Michael Ellman, Jakob von Uexkull and others.

April 19 - 2.15 pm to ca. 3.45 pm at Ambassador Hotel, Nablus Road, Jerusalem

• Press conference with Vanunu, Uexkull and members of the delegation
• Presentation of Right Livelihood Award to Vanunu